Sharp unveils new browser and wifi-equipped MX printers

Latest models buck up security and offer eco modes

It may be a stretch to say that printers are becoming fully-fledged PCs, but Sharp's latest multi-function systems go one step closer by providing a 10.1-inch display for managing print jobs and browsing websites.

It makes sense, then, that the company's MX-5141N, MX5140N, MX-4141N and MX-4140N multi-function printers (MFPs) can connect to both internal networks and the internet to let employees access and print documents.

The new MFPs feature output speeds of up to 51 pages per minute in colour and black and white and are also capable of printing documents from smartphones or tablets using wireless connectivity.

Custom apps

Services included with the printers are Sharp's Open System Architecture (OSA), which allows third-party software developers to create custom applications that link the MFPs to software programmes on a server or PC, and Adobe's PostScript 3.

That's in addition to a document reader, an internal network-accessible hard drive and a paper supply that holds up to 6,600 sheets of paper.

Security features include user authentication, and secure data encryption and erasure, which sit alongside a number of eco modes.

Aimed squarely at mid-market organisations looking to splash out on a more capable MDF, the new sytems start at £14,995 for the MX4140NFK and rise to £17,995 for the top-end MX5141NFK model.